C H A P T E R 2

Network Assistant Features

Network Assistant simplifies the management of communities or clusters by offering a GUI, alternative
modes for configuring network devices, two levels of access, and comprehensive online help. Figure 2-1
shows the main features of the GUI.

Figure 2-1 Network Assistant GUI

3
1
2

200761

1 Toolbar 3 Topology view

2 Feature bar 4 Front Panel view

The following sections describe the Network Assistant features.

Getting Started with Cisco Network Assistant

OL-6194-06 2-1
 Chapter 2 Network Assistant Features
Front Panel View

Front Panel View

When Network Assistant connects to a community or a cluster, you can display the Front Panel view by
clicking Front Panel on the toolbar or by choosing Monitor > View > Front Panel on the feature bar.
You see the front-panel image of the device. If the device belongs to a community, you see all of the
devices that were selected the last time that the front panel view appeared for that community. If the
device commands a cluster, you see the cluster members that were selected the last time that the view
was displayed.
By using the Front Panel view, you can
• Drag and re-arrange the devices that appear.
• Select and configure the devices.
• Right-click a port and configure it.
• Select multiple ports, on the same device or on different devices, and configure the ports at the same
time.
Figure 2-2 shows a community with these members: Catalyst 4948, 3750, 3560, 3550, 2960, 2955, and
2950 switches and a Catalyst Express 500 switch.

Figure 2-2 Front Panel View and Port Popup Window

200739

2 3

1 Member devices 3 Settings popup window

2 Check boxes to show devices

Getting Started with Cisco Network Assistant

2-2 OL-6194-06
Chapter 2 Network Assistant Features
Topology View

Topology View
When Network Assistant connects to a community or a cluster, the Topology view appears by default. If
you change this default, you can see the Topology view by clicking Topology view on the toolbar or by
choosing Monitor > Views > Topology.

Note You can change the preferences in Network Assistant to show the Front Panel view by default by
choosing Application > Preferences > Show Front Panel View when connected to network. If you
no longer want Network Assistant to show the Topology view by default, deselect Show Topology View
when connected to a network.

The Topology view shows how the devices within a community or a cluster are connected. If you manage
a community, you can see the VLAN links by highlighting them. You can make neighboring devices
members of the community or cluster, or you can remove members.
The Topology view in Figure 2-3 shows the members of a community and the neighboring devices
discovered by Network Assistant. When you right-click a device or a link icon, a popup window appears.

Figure 2-3 Topology View and Device Popup Windows

1 2

200744

1 Device popup window 2 Link popup window

Note When you are managing a community, the Topology view displays all the devices in that community. To
display a different community, you must connect to that community.

When you are managing a cluster, the Topology view displays only the cluster and the network
neighborhood of the specific command or member device that you access. To display a different cluster,
you must access the command device or a member device of that cluster.

Getting Started with Cisco Network Assistant

OL-6194-06 2-3
 Chapter 2 Network Assistant Features
Menu Bar, Toolbar, and Feature Bar

Menu Bar, Toolbar, and Feature Bar

Configuration and monitoring options are available on the menu bar, the toolbar, and the feature bar. The
menu bar provides options for configuring communities and Network Assistant itself. The options on the
feature bar are for configuring devices, ports and VLANs, for monitoring, and for getting reports.

Menu Bar
The menu bar provides these options for managing Network Assistant, navigating among windows, and
accessing online help:
• Application—Choose printing options, select interaction modes, set user preferences, search for and
install Network Assistant updates, show or hide the feature bar, create and modify communities, and
request system message notifications.
• Window—Navigate to open Network Assistant windows.
• Help—Open the online help.

Toolbar
The toolbar has icons and buttons for commonly used configuration options and for information
windows such as the legend and the online help. Table 2-1 lists the toolbar options from left to right on
the toolbar.

Table 2-1 Toolbar Icons and Buttons

Toolbar Option Icon Task

Connect Connect Network Assistant to a community, a cluster, or a standalone device.

Refresh Update the views with the latest status.

Print Print a Network Assistant window or help topic.

Preferences Set Network Assistant display properties, choose the views to open when Network
Assistant is connected, and choose how often Network Assistant searches for an update.

Save Save the configuration of the devices to your PC.

Configuration1

Software Upgrade the software on one or more devices.

Upgrade1

Smartports1 Display or configure Smartports setup on a device.

Port Settings2 Display and configure port parameters on a device.

Getting Started with Cisco Network Assistant

2-4 OL-6194-06
 Chapter 2 Network Assistant Features
Menu Bar, Toolbar, and Feature Bar

Table 2-1 Toolbar Icons and Buttons (continued)

Toolbar Option Icon Task

1
VLANs Display VLAN membership, assign ports to VLANs, and change the administration
mode.

Inventory Display the device type, the software version, the IP address, and other information
about a device.

Health Monitor measurements that show the health of your managed devices.

Event Display messages about network and device events.

Notification

Front Panel Display the Front Panel view.

Topology Display the Topology view.

Legend Display the legend, which describes the icons, labels, and links.

Help for Active Display the help topic for the active, open window. You can also click Help from the
Window active window or press the F1 key.

Feedback Open a Web page where you can leave feedback about your experience with Network
Assistant.

Search Enter terms in the field at the right of the toolbar, and click the Search button to search
the online help.

1. Not available in read only mode. For more information about the read only and read-write access modes, see the “Privilege Levels” section on page 2-8.
2. Some options from this menu option are not available in read only mode.

Feature Bar
The feature bar shows the networking features that are available for the devices in your community or
cluster. By default, the feature bar is in standard mode. In this mode, it is always visible, and you can
reduce or increase its width. In autohide mode, the feature bar appears only when you move the cursor
to the left edge of the Network Assistant workspace.
• To see the feature bar in standard mode, click Application > Feature Bar, and select Standard
Mode.
• To hide the feature bar, click Application > Feature Bar, and select Autohide Mode.

Getting Started with Cisco Network Assistant

OL-6194-06 2-5
 Chapter 2 Network Assistant Features
Menu Bar, Toolbar, and Feature Bar

Figure 2-4 shows a feature bar.

Figure 2-4 Feature Bar

200755

The features are grouped under menus. When you click a menu item, the configuration window for the
feature appears.
Access modes affect the availability of features; some are not available in read only mode. For more
information about how access modes affect Network Assistant, see the “Privilege Levels” section on
page 2-8.

Getting Started with Cisco Network Assistant

2-6 OL-6194-06
 Chapter 2 Network Assistant Features
Interaction Modes

Interaction Modes
There are two modes for interacting with the Network Assistant GUI: guide mode and expert mode.
Guide mode presents feature options one step at a time, with accompanying help information. Expert
mode presents all the options for configuring a feature in a single window. For help, click Help in the
window.

Guide Mode
Network Assistant is in expert mode by default. When you choose a feature on the feature bar with a
signpost icon (see Figure 2-5), you see a series of configuration steps—guide mode. If you choose a
feature without this icon, you see a configuration window—expert mode.

Figure 2-5 Guide Mode Signposts

1
2
200756

1 Guide mode icon 2 Menu items that support only the expert mode

Guide mode is not available if your switch access level is read only. For more information about the read
only access mode, see the “Privilege Levels” section on page 2-8.

Getting Started with Cisco Network Assistant

OL-6194-06 2-7
 Chapter 2 Network Assistant Features
Wizards

Expert Mode
If you prefer to see a configuration window for every feature, choose Expert in the Application menu,
or click Expert on the toolbar. Even the features that appear with a signpost on the feature bar appear in
expert mode. If you want to see guide mode again, choose Guide in the Application menu, or click
Guide on the toolbar.
To start a guide-mode feature in Expert mode, you must choose Expert before selecting the feature.

Wizards
All wizards contain Wizard in their names on the feature bar. Like guide mode, wizards provide a
step-by-step approach for completing a specific configuration task. Unlike guide mode, wizards do not
prompt you to enter information for all of the feature options. Instead, they prompt you to enter minimal
information and use the default settings of the remaining options to set default configurations.
Wizards are not available for read only access levels. For more information about the read only access
mode, see the “Privilege Levels” section.

Smartports
Network Assistant detects where you have not used Smartports to configure a device connection and
provides this information in the Event Notification window. You can configure the connection either
manually or based on suggestions provided by Network Assistant. Open the Smartports window to either
select a role to apply or use Smartports to suggest a role to apply. See the online help for more
information on Smartports.

Privilege Levels
Network Assistant provides two types of access to configuration options: read write and read only. Your
access type is determined by your privilege level, a number from 1 to 15. Privilege levels correspond to
these access types:
• Level 15 provides read write access.
• Levels 1 to 14 provide read only access. Any options in the Network Assistant windows, feature bar,
toolbar, and popup windows that change the device, community, or cluster configuration are enabled
for read only access. This means that you cannot modify the configuration shown in the windows
started by these items.
By default, Network Assistant tries to log you on with privilege level 15. However, this normally requires
that you pass the authentication with a proper username and password. Lower levels do not generally
impose this requirement.

Note You must have privilege level 15 to access Network Assistant through a TACACS+ or a RADIUS server.

Getting Started with Cisco Network Assistant

2-8 OL-6194-06
Chapter 2 Network Assistant Features
Searching for a Network Assistant Update

Searching for a Network Assistant Update

Network Assistant can search Cisco.com to see whether new packages are available. Use either of these
actions to request a search:
• Choose Application > Preferences, and use the Preferences window to request an automatic search
every week or every month.
• Choose Application > Application Updates to request an immediate search for updates.
If an update is found, you can install it through Network Assistant.

Online Help
Network Assistant provides comprehensive online help that explains configuration and monitoring tasks.
Sometimes the information in a help topic differs for different devices. In these cases, the right pane of
the Help window contains all the versions of the topic, each labeled with the hostnames of the devices
it applies to.
Online help includes these features:
• Conceptual help that gives background information on networking features
• Window help that gives procedures for performing tasks
• An index of online help topics
• A tab for requesting a search of all the online help topics
• A glossary of terms used in the online help

Getting Started with Cisco Network Assistant

OL-6194-06 2-9
 Chapter 2 Network Assistant Features
Online Help

Getting Started with Cisco Network Assistant

2-10 OL-6194-06